Former caregiver pleads guilty in connection with death of woman at Milton group home

Annie Kwankam, 59, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Norfolk Superior Court to felony permitting bodily injury to a disabled person in connection with the death of 56-year-old Lauren Wolf, who died in 2009, according to a statement from Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey's office.

DEDHAM – A former Brockton woman who was indicted on a manslaughter charge in the death of a woman she was caring for in a Milton group home has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge after key evidence in the prosecution’s case came into question.

Annie Kwankam, 59, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Norfolk Superior Court to felony permitting bodily injury to a disabled person in connection with the death of 56-year-old Lauren Wolf, who died in 2009, according to a statement from Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey’s office.

Judge Kenneth Fishman sentenced Kwankam to five years probation. During that time, she is ordered to not work or volunteer as a care provider and to notify the probation department of any changes in her employment.

Kwankam was indicted for manslaughter in 2012 and was arrested in Alabama, then transported back to Massachusetts. Prosecutors alleged that Kwankam stood by while Wolf, who was mentally disabled, choked to death on a piece of steak.

Wolf died at a the Kahler Home on Kahler Avenue in Milton. The home is operated by the Vinfen Corporation and funded by the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health.

Prosecutors said at the time of her indictment that Kwankam told investigators she first thought Wolf was faking and then went to help another patient.

But the prosecution’s case suffered setbacks.

The district attorney’s office wasn’t notified of Wolf’s death in September, 2009, until a month later, and no autopsy was performed.

A medical examiner assigned to review the evidence in the case opined that Wolf died after choking on a piece of steak while Kwankam did nothing to help her, according to Morrissey’s office.

That medical examiner died in 2012. Another medical examiner who took over the case did an independent review of the evidence provided to the grand jury and ruled the cause of death as “undetermined.”

“The change in available evidence certainly impacted the strength of the manslaughter case where a jury would have been asked to find guilt beyond a reasonable doubt,” Morrissey said in a statement.

The manslaughter charge was withdrawn as part of the plea deal.

Christian Schiavone may be reached at cschiavone@ledger.com or follow him on Twitter @CSchiavo_Ledger.